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• An unworthy superstition
  The "celestial fire" of dissidents on Holy Saturday
  Dal 1810, the walls of the Angel chapel are crossed by two oval skylights. They serve the non-united Greek and Armenian high clergy, to communicate the famous sacred fire to the outside. People are made to believe that on Holy Saturday fire descends from heaven or is brought by an angel to the Holy Sepulcher. The Greek bishop and the Armenian bishop lock themselves in the chapel of the Angel, and when, after a long wait, the Greek bishop passes the claimed miraculous flame through the skylight, thousands of Greeks, of Russians, of Armenians, of Copts, and Abyssinians, full of enthusiasm, they let out wild screams and rush in indescribable disorder towards the skylights to quickly light their candles and torches. The Turkish soldiers (now Israelis, ndr), responsible for maintaining order, they are often helpless against these frenzied hordes, and it is not uncommon for the hateful Saturnalia caused by this unworthy superstition, are not marked by serious accidents. In 1834, more than 400 corpses were scattered in the churchyard of the basilica following this "religious festival". With a short dated 1238, Pope Gregory IX denounced the so-called sacred fire as a superstition.
  Translation of the text of the “Guide to the Holy Land” by Father Barnabé Meistermann, ofm, pages. 798, Franciscan Editions, Paris 1936, with the imprimatur of the Custodian of the Holy Land Father Nazzareno Jacopozzi.

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• I apologize, I forgot to add the link to the passage mentioned in my previous comment: http://www.centrostudifederici.org/unindegna-superstizione/

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• Family’ ! I also read about this story, which would seem like a legend !

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• In the Federici Study Center category of the site you can find the article that explains this superstition

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